It also has a premise relatable to anyone who has ever enjoyed multiple viewings of "The Wizard of Oz": How did the Wicked Witch of the West get to be so mean (and green)?

In "Wicked," which is based on an imaginative novel by Gregory Maguire, her name is Elphaba. We meet her as a serious, strong-willed and green, college student who is forced by her unloving father to care for her wheelchair-bound sister, Nessarose.

At school, the much-shunned Elphaba is paired with the most unlikely dorm roommate on campus — a perky, self-centered blonde named Galinda — the future Good Witch — who is more interested in boys, shoes and popularity than academics. (Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde" could be her twin.) Specifically, Galinda has her eye on Fiyero, an easygoing, confident and handsome fellow student. (Elphaba likes him, too.) Much of the first act is centered on campus life, but then Elphaba is granted a visit with the much-adored Wonderful Wizard of Oz, an encounter that shakes her to the core.

In the tumultuous second act, Elphaba becomes a fugitive feared by many for her powers, Galinda is forced to broaden her selfish nature, Fiyero proves stronger of character than expected, and monkeys fly. The storyline is complicated and convoluted yet absorbing, with one revelation after another, lots of clever "Wizard of Oz" touches, and numerous declarative songs of passion, loyalty and conflicting emotions. The songs by Stephen Schwartz of "Godspell" fame are not especially hummable but lend emotional oomph to the plot.

Jennifer DiNola, who stars as Elphaba — and has played the role on Broadway and in Chicago, Australia and Korea — gives a towering performance. She commands the stage throughout, delivers an engaging blend of strength and vulnerability, and her frequent vocals are powerful. It's hard to imagine her doing this show eight times a week.

Hayley Podschun is adorably silly and funny as Galinda, especially in her show-stopping song "Popular," but she rises to the more serious shadings of Act Two. Kudos also to David Nathan Perlow as the callow yet surprising Fiyero (a role he's played almost 1,000 times), and Kathy Fitzgerald who chews the scenery with gusto as Madame Morrible, the headmistress at Shiz University and a power-mad cohort of the wizard.